


Protect What's Yours

by LittleMissHeartfillia



Series: The Rolling Pin [2]
Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: F/F, Graphic?, Homophobia, Smoking, Tumblr: FTLGBTales, Violence, WWTDP, and jiemmas an asshole, theyre just good lesbians, tortured past mention, yukinos an angel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-06
Updated: 2018-10-07
Packaged: 2019-07-25 21:07:01
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,718
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16205681
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LittleMissHeartfillia/pseuds/LittleMissHeartfillia
Summary: Minerva just wanted to come home to her loving girlfriend and maybe a nice cup of tea. Instead she got a face from her past and a lot of reminders of her ruined childhood. Luckily Yukino is always going to be there for her.





	1. Protect

**Author's Note:**

> idk man they're just cute lesbians. I wanted Yukino to do the saving this time, so yeah she kicks ass. It's also worth noting that this fic exists in the same universe as my OS The Rolling Pin, read that if you like, it's Stingue, but you don't need to in order to understand this one.  
> Part of my contribution to @ftlgbtales (tumblr) first October event.

Minerva sighed heavily as she stomped down the cracked pavement. It had been a long day, and she was tired and ready to get back home. Get back to her girlfriend who could make everything better.

The night was pitch black around the city’s residential street. The only light came from the block of apartments, each night owls’ window lighting up like a spotlight. It gave the sky an orange glow, but only made her squint when she looked up at it.

She kept her head down as she walked, hoping by some miracle her headache would go away. Maybe if she walked fast enough, she could outrun it. Finally, she rounded the corner of the poor district and caught sight of her open door down the way.

Minerva squinted, immediately wary of the way her entryway light spilled out over the stone steps.  _ Yukino… _ Minerva thought, already running to the entrance. She jumped up the small steps instead of walking up them normally, and barreled into her apartment on the first floor. 

The house was still, and she couldn’t immediately hear anything or anyone inside. “Yukino!” she called quickly, nervously.

There was barely a moment’s hesitation before Yukino’s small voice shouted from two rooms away, “Minnie!” Her tone was upbeat, but it was what she said that made the hair on Minerva’s neck stand up. She never called Minerva by that name. “Come join us in the living room,” she finished, and Minerva clenched her fists.

She made her way to the sound of Yukino’s voice. She kept her emotions of worry in check until she stood in the doorway and saw what the problem was. Yukino was sitting in their only armchair with a cup of tea in her hands and a pained smile on her face. Across from her sat the lumbering figure of a man taking up a lot of space on their couch, a teacup on the coffee table in front of him. It sat unused.

Minerva shared one look at Yukino and faked a happy expression as she walked around the couch to face their visitor.

“Hello, father,” Minerva called albeit sounding rather forced.

Jiemma perked up at hearing her voice. He belted out a laugh that sounded something between happy supportive father and maniacal genius.

“Minerva! My child, how have you been?” He made to stand up and swing an arm around her but Minerva shied slyly towards Yukino to avoid him.

“I’ve been fine,” Minerva said curtly. “Dad…” she started, her headache suddenly growing worse. “What are you doing here?”

“What do you mean, what am I doing here?” he guffawed, making a large show with his hands as his belly and beard rumbled under his breath. “I’m visiting my only daughter.” 

Minerva felt a horrible retort split its way down her throat but she held back as Jiemma continued. He would have interrupted her anyway.

“Rather rude of you to not let me know where you’ve been or how you’ve been doing. As your father shouldn’t I know that?”

Minerva grinded her teeth. It was like he forgot everything. All the painful nights. All the drunken rants. All the broken, bloodied body parts. All the lying, and the cheating. She studied her father’s face for a while. He was grinning widely, but she knew its act well. He was trying to be a father but he never knew how. She could tell by the slight tint of red on his nose and cheeks that this was not the first place he had stopped by tonight.

“Have you been keeping up with your therapist, Minerva,” Jiemma kept going on. “You know it’s important that you do.”

Minerva had to close her eyes to collect herself. “That man is not a therapist, Dad! He tried to give me medication to ‘find my heterosexuality’.”

Jiemma scoffed loudly and his eyebrows creased angrily but his words conveyed feigned kindness. “Don’t be so stubborn, Minerva. Everyone can be normal, you just require the effort to work at it.”

Minerva couldn’t  hide her anger anymore, she made sure to take a step forward, her fists clenched ready to kick him out if need be. But before she could do anything, Yukino pushed her behind her with a protective arm.

“Is it normal to hit your children?” Yukino shouted, her usually quiet voice reaching octaves that made her squeak.

“Yuki?” Minerva began but Yukino just cut her off.

“No, Minerva!” She yelled, still glaring at Jiemma, her voice was now reaching stronger levels of pitch that Minerva hadn’t thought possible. “It’s not ok! It’s not ok what he did, how he hurt you! You can’t treat everyone who ever loved you like shit and expect them to stick around when they realize they don’t have to take your abuse!”

Minerva glanced worriedly at her father whose face was growing redder and angrier by the second. But Yukino didn’t let him interject. In fact, she hardly took a breath. “You can’t live your life forcing everyone else to do your bidding, forcing your  _ only daughter _ to live in fear because you can’t handle your own insecurities!”

While she ranted Yukino had gained ground on Jiemma. Although he towered over her, she stared up at him with such a defiance that Minerva was surprised fire wasn’t coming out of her eyes. It was fierce, Minerva had to admit. And she kind of liked the idea of Yukino commanding the situation.

Yukino knew how much Minerva hated her father. She knew how much Minerva’s father had ruined her life. All the mental breakdowns, all the weird unhealthy habits and the self-hate he had inflicted on her. She had seen everything at this point.

Yukino began jabbing a finger into Jiemma’s chest but that seemed to be the last straw for him. He grabbed her wrist and twisted until she cried out, then slapped her across the cheek. She stumbled but didn’t fall, Jiemma was still holding onto her wrist anyway.

“Get away from her!” Minerva screamed and moved to yank Yukino’s wrist out of his grasp. But Minerva wasn’t done yet. As soon as Jiemma had let go Minerva pushed him back with all her force. She was, not for the first time, thankful that she had taken all those street fighting classes. The only reason she had wanted to take them in the first place was in case this sort of thing ever happened again. She had sworn she would protect Yukino a long time ago and she wasn’t going back on that. Ever.

“You insolent brat!” Jiemma roared and attempted to grab at Minerva’s hair. He yanked and nearly lifted her off the ground. The tips of her toes just barely danced on the wood flooring.

Yukino let out a sharp cry from beside her and all Minerva saw was her heeled foot rushing into Jiemma’s gullet. He stumbled, the breath visibly gone from him. Freed from his grasp, Minerva fumbled on the ground until she found Yukino’s discarded cell phone and dialed 911.

Meanwhile, Yukino was going crazy and had grabbed a kitchen chair, ready to strike at Jiemma. He was strong and certainly not scared of two young girls but Yukino didn’t let that stop her. Even after Jiemma ripped the chair from Yukino’s grasp and swung it at a wall where its legs cracked in two….even after Jiemma knocked her to the ground, Yukino kept screaming profanities and attempting blows.

She managed to hit him once, a fingered strike right into his eyes, and he reared back, stumbling over his own two legs. “Yuki, c’mon!” Minerva shouted, grabbing her girlfriends hand and rushing to the front door.

Somehow they made it there before they heard Jiemma scream curses at them. There was a sound like breaking glass, and a dozen loud thuds from the living room. It sounded like Jiemma had just upturned the entire coffee table.

Minerva didn’t waste any time, slamming the front door and jumping once more down the steps to where Yukino was waiting. In the distance they heard the sirens, flashing blue and red lights that were traveling up the road.

Hand in hand, Minerva and Yukino ran to the police cruiser now speeding their way. Minerva turned to look back, but Jiemma was already running the opposite direction. Slinking away into the night.

 

Yukino and Minerva sat on their front steps, a blanket around both of them, while the police surveyed the damage done to their apartment. Minerva was smoking a cigarette, which she knew Yukino hated, but after the events that just unfolded, Yukino didn’t protest.

The red and blue lights made her eyesight go after a while. Minerva had tried to keep them in focus but after ten minutes of staring into a dark street with flashing lights she gave up trying to see straight. Her head was pounding even worse now. 

She took one last drag of her cigarette and smushed the butt of it into the cement stairs under her feet. She blew out the smoke slowly, carefully, with it letting her tension go. Some tension stayed, but Minerva was pretty sure she’d never feel quite right. Not after the life she’d gone through.

Yukino was uncharacteristically quiet, and she had only stared at the toes of her feet poking out under the shock blanket this whole time. Minerva took one look at her, and immediate guilt flooded her system.

Yukino’s short cut silver hair fell in front of her eyes, only a small strand of it was tucked behind her ear so Minerva could just barely see her face. The chaotic colors of the night framed her delicate jawline and painted the tip of her small nose, red then gold then blue then red, alternating. Her brown doe eyes looked so dejected, so lost of all their life. They seemed to Minerva not the beautiful golden hazel she had come to love but a sad gray cloud.

Yukino didn’t deserve this. She didn’t deserve any of it. She was just another victim Minerva had unwittingly brought into her shitty life and forced to deal with her abusive drunk of a father. Add on Minerva’s own personal and mental issues and it just wasn’t fair.

“I’m sorry…” There was a profound quiet before that Minerva hadn’t realised was there until she broke it. She felt rather than saw Yukino turn her body to look at her. “I never wanted to-” A lump caught in her throat, and she couldn’t speak anymore.

“Min…” Yukino said gently, bringing an arm out of her blanket to wrap it around Minerva’s shoulder. Minerva just shook her head, feeling the tears begin to stream down her face.

“It’s my fault. You shouldn’t have to deal with this…” Minerva kept curling into herself. She felt her face twist like a contortionist but she couldn’t stop. Yukino just pulled her closer and whispered in her ear.

“Stop that,” her voice was soft and sweet, like a dream that Minerva didn’t deserve. “I’m here. I’ll always be here. I’ll always protect you. Even when you don’t want me to, okay?”

Minerva let her head fall into the space under Yukino’s chin. She let the sobs rack her body while Yukino whispered sweet words into her ears and rubbed circles in her back. Minerva had sworn she would take care of Yukino long ago. She had sworn it, and yet here she was being comforted by someone she didn’t deserve.

Minerva didn’t know how long Yukino could keep up with her shit life, but for just this one moment...she let herself believe that everything was gonna be alright.


	2. Stubborn Loving

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sting throws a party and he and Minerva go a little too hard on the alcohol. Luckily Yukino and Rogue are always there for them.

Sunlight glittered off the disco ball hanging in the window. Now that Yukino had gotten used to it, she quite liked having it there. It hung perfectly in a corner between two windows where it caught the most light and reflected it in decorative circle beams all around the living room.

Yukino put her book down when one of its beams began shining directly on the page she was reading. She remembered when Minerva had first gotten it, claiming it was a gift from Sting to “spice up their apartment”. Minerva said she took it only to make Sting happy and to get him off her back, but Yukino saw the way she admired its decorative capabilities before.

Yukino also remembered how when Minerva had first gotten it, the disco ball was painted over. In actuality, it was just a large styrofoam ball with bits of reflective plastic glued to it. Something Sting had made by hand. Only, Sting took it a step further and painted the plastic (presumably in hopes that it would shine different colors around the room). But the paint had the opposite effect, and ended up making it’s reflective lights dimmer, almost nonexistent.

Minerva had sighed when she first noticed it. “For someone who tries so hard he doesn’t get very far…” she remarked under her breath. Minerva then spent the next hour enlisting Yukino’s help in washing off the paint, which came off too easily, and buying tinted plastic to glue onto it, doing the job Sting wanted it to do in the first place.

Now it flashes white circles of light with a colored outline around the room. Not exactly the rainbow disco Sting had wanted for them, but all in all effective. Of course, Minerva and Yukino had never told Sting about all the work they had to do to get it that way. So whenever he came over he was always pleasantly surprised that they still had it, and that it reflected light the way he had wanted it to. He liked to praise himself on it at least once a week.

Yukino bookmarked her page and set the book on their new coffee table. After Minerva’s father destroyed the last one, they were forced to spend what little money they had on a replacement. Yukino insisted as long as they were paying for it, they might as well make it good quality. Preferably one that matched with their couch. If Sting prides himself on his disco ball making skills, Yukino could pride herself on her coffee table buying skills.

As if on cue, her phone buzzed the next moment with a snapchat from Sting. Opening it, Yukino found Sting’s face extremely close to the camera, Minerva and Rogue just barely visible beyond his messy blonde hair, talking with each other seemingly unaware Sting was taking a photo. They all looked happy and the thought made Yukino’s heart soar.

Sting had captioned the picture with, “Everyone’s here and they miss you.” Yukino was about to reply when her phone buzzed again with another snap. This time it was Minerva’s face right beside Sting’s. Both of them with wide eyes, squishing their faces together; trying to be closest to the camera. Yukino stifled a giggle and read the caption. “Your woman says to stop being an antisocial bookworm and get your ass over here.”

Yukino grabbed her book to pose with it covering half her face and replied, “Books are such good company but if you insist…”

Seconds later she got a snap from Minerva. It looked to her like Minerva had snuck away from the boys because she was in a differently colored room. In the photo, her thin eyebrows were raised suggestively and she was biting a large chunk of her burgundy painted bottom lip. This was something she knew Yukino hated, but also loved immensely. “Come play with me”, the caption read, and Yukino had to put her phone down because her heart was pounding so much.

She snapped a quick photo in the middle of her getting up, one which featured contents of their living room in blurred motion and a quick message saying, “I’m on my way”.

 

It only took about ten minutes to find a cab and ride it into town where she knew Sting and Rogue’s apartment was. She stepped out of the car after tipping the driver, and already she could hear yellled singing coming from Sting’s open window.

From their snaps, Yukino had thought that she walking into a hang out between Sting, Rogue and Minerva. But she was very certain she heard Orga’s booming laughter over Gajeel and Natsu’s competitive bickering. All the while, Minerva and Sting had a screaming sing off. Although Yukino knew both of them had a rather nice singing voice, it certainly didn’t sound that way now. The fact that Yukino could hear them all the way from the third floor was an impressive feat.

On a whim, Yukino pulled out her phone and quickly took a video of the only window of Sting’s that faced the street. The curtains were drawn but the window was flung wide open and Yukino caught their auditory chaos on camera. Laughing, she sent it to Sting.

Yukino was about to head up the steps to their apartment when suddenly Sting stopped singing, the music from the karaoke game and Minerva’s voice continuing in his place. In a split second he was yelling Yukino’s name and ripped open the curtains to his window.

Yukino gave him a polite wave while Sting slammed his hands down on the windowsill. He leaned his body out of the window so far Yukino thought he might fall. There had been a metal grate there once, but after a particularly rowdy party and Sting’s body slamming into it, the grate popped off its hinges and was lost on a street corner.

“Get your butt up here, Aguria! Or Rogue’s gonna eat all your cookies.”

Yukino squeaked, “Save a magical floating cookie for me!” That was a name Sting coined when he first got high off Yukino’s cookies and it stuck ever since. Yukino had to run up the steps to the third floor. The elevator was still out of order, and at this point she doubted they’d ever fix it.

If the sound from outside the building was loud, then opening the door brought a whole new blast of energy to her. Immediately upon entering she was greeted with at least five hearty welcomes that boomed out into the hallway.

Orga caught her hand and pulled her inside with a wide grin. Six bodies all writhed around the small one bedroom apartment. Sting still hadn’t gotten around to buying more furniture aside from the beat up couch in the living room. Rogue had at least got him a wooden desk that he could use for his laptop. It sat in front of the couch and by location and functionality mostly became Sting’s new mock television/radio set.

Aside from that, the apartment was largely empty, Yukino surmised months ago that this was the only reason they all came here to party: the lack of furniture and the open floor plan left them able to fit many bodies inside of a small space. That, and she was pretty sure Sting loved the company more than he loved himself.

The karaoke song ended, not because Sting had stopped singing altogether, now choosing to entertain his guests, but because Minerva had stopped the music on Sting’s laptop as soon as Yukino walked in.

“Oi, don’t turn off the tunes!” Yukino heard a disgruntled Gajeel yell from across the room.

Minerva didn’t even bother glancing back as she shouted to him, “Then you pick the song metalhead!” Then she flashed Yukino a smile and made her way over to her girlfriend. 

“Oh, no you don’t!” Natsu screamed, lunging for the laptop before Gajeel could get there. “The last time you chose the music my ears bled. Let me DJ this time.”

While Natsu and Gajeel bickered over the music choice, Yukino was distracted as Minerva sauntered her way over. She’d never be over the way Minerva’s hips swung wildly as she walked, her side slit skirt showing off just the right amount of thigh to give Yukino goosebumps.

There was no time to talk, not even a hello, just Minerva grabbing Yukino by the waist, dipping her and planting the most passionate kiss on her lips. Half of the room erupted into teasing and Yukino was pretty sure she caught Rogue snapping a picture of them.

She ignored all the eyes on her the minute Minerva opened her mouth and let her tongue dance over Yukino’s lips. Minerva’s hot breath brought the stench of alcohol and Yukino had to pull back.

She creased her brows. “Babe?” Yukino started, but Minerva only gave her a sly smile. It wasn’t too late in the day to drink quite honestly. Yukino had walked up the apartment steps by six in a summer afternoon, but Minerva knew how alcohol set Yukino’s anxiety off. She’d seen Minerva be a victim of it for too long.

“I’ve only had one glass, relax,” Minerva said voice low in Yukino's ear. She wasn’t inebriated, in fact she wasn’t even tipsy yet, but Yukino was uncomfortable with it anyway. She decided for just this once, she wouldn’t make it a big deal. She knew that Minerva wasn’t working tomorrow, so she guessed it would be fine.

And it was fine...for the most part. Yukino was able to enjoy the party with her friends. She enjoyed it even more after she had one of her magical floating cookies. Now at least twice a month, Sting or Rogue would request Yukino to make more of those cookies for all the parties the boys liked to hold. 

Yukino knew Sting just wanted to have a good time, and although she knew Rogue had never liked crowds as much she guessed the cookies helped take a little of the edge off so he could enjoy himself. Yukino knew what that felt like, because she knew Minerva was often the same way with alcohol.

But for tonight, Yukino was able to put her worries about her friends’ physical and mental health aside. Natsu and Gajeel were easily the life of the party, and if you combine that with Sting’s uncanny ability to keep whoever engaged in conversation with him happy and upbeat, these parties were always something that Yukino looked forward to.

Yes, everything was going well...that is, at least until the end of the night. Yukino could tell that Minerva was steadily drinking too much. And although the cookie she had did a lot to quell her ability to care about this, it wore off around ten then got impossible to ignore closer to midnight. Minerva was pacing herself but once the sky got darker it seemed like she let herself go wild.

Gajeel and Orga had already been called home by their significant others, and had left the party. Natsu, who seemed to have no problem making himself at home, was passed out on Sting’s couch. Minerva was still entertaining them with card games. She tried to get a round of strip poker going once but Rogue and Yukino, the only sober ones left at this point, talked her down from it.

Yukino glanced at the clock on her phone; it read nearly one o’clock. She pinched Minerva’s elbow by her side and leaned it to whisper in her ear. “It’s late, we should head home.”

Minerva tilted a little as she replied too loudly, “You’re always ruining the fun! Drink a little, let go of that stick in your ass!”

Yukino frowned deeply at Minerva. She was talking too loudly and she was definitely too drunk at this point. The entire room had heard her and although Natsu was still asleep his snoring had stopped. Yukino wondered if he was just pretending to stay asleep for the sake of staying out of the oncoming fight.

Yukino grabbed Minerva’s arm and in her serious voice told her, “Min, I mean it. You’ve had too much to drink.”

“Sting we should get you to bed too,” Rogue cut in and Yukino was thankful for it though she kept her staring contest with Minerva. Sting was much easier to handle drunk than Minerva was and the only protest he offered was a mumbled request to cuddle with Rogue. To which Rogue blushed and told him gently, “Just go to sleep, Eucliffe.”

Yukino pulled her lips thin and waited until Rogue had helped Sting to the bedroom before speaking again, more patient this time to try and appeal to Minerva’s good side. “Minerva please. It’s late, I’m tired and you shouldn’t drink anymore tonight.”

Minerva pulled away and her lips made a  _ pffftt _ sound as she waved her hand. “I’m fine, Yuks,” she said then nearly fell off her chair reaching across the table for the vodka bottle. Yukino stood up quickly and caught her arm.

“Stop being so stubborn, Minerva!” Yukino shouted the words a little louder than she meant to. “You always get like this when you drink, that’s why I hate it! Can’t we just enjoy our friends and have a good time without you going overboard like this?”

Minerva frowned now, trying to stand up but having to lean into the table heavily. “I  _ am _ having fun, Yuki! You just wanna be an anal bitch.”

Minerva tried to move from her spot but Yukino caught her arm to stop her from falling and then pinned her hands on the table to keep her in place. “Stop with that. Please for once let’s just go home without making it a big deal,” Yukino pleaded.

Minerva shook her head belligerently, her dark hair falling over her face, catching on the tip of her pointed nose and making her look even more a mess. “Why do you even care so much?” She began to try to remove her hands from Yukino’s grip but didn’t find it easy. “You shouldn’t care, you know that?” Minerva’s words were beginning to slur, already they were so mumbled Yukino could just barely understand her.

“Minerva-” Yukino began losing her patience.

“Yukino!” Minerva mocked. “Yukino, Yukino, stuck with my depressed ass because all you do is  _ pity _ me. You can just leave if it’s that horrible, Yukino! I’m better off on my own anyway!”

This time her words shocked Yukino and Minerva was able to wriggle free from her grasp. Minerva stumbled back into the other chair Rogue had left pushed out but she caught herself and tried to walk to the fridge next.

Yukino shook herself from her trance and caught up to Minerva quickly. She took Minerva’s shoulders and whirled her around so she could look in her eyes. “Min,” she said. “You don’t really believe that do you?”

Yukino knew talking to drunk Minerva never went anywhere. Minerva wouldn’t remember this come morning and she was too far gone to handle herself or her thoughts correctly. But Yukino wondered if maybe the drinking had somehow brought unaddressed issues to the surface that Minerva wouldn’t have told Yukino about otherwise.

Part of her yearned to try and fix Minerva, to help her see how much Yukino loved her and see her be happy. The other part of her knew that it was pointless. Minerva was too stubborn when drunk, too unwilling to listen to anyone. And anyhow it was just the alcohol talking. Minerva never would have said these things sober.

Minerva pushed Yukino’s arms off her and stumbled until her back hit the fridge, rattling its contents. “You’re the only one who doesn’t!” she retorted. “I’m too ffffucked up for you,” Minerva stammered, having trouble saying the ‘f’ sound. “You’re too good. You’re too...perfect! And everyone knows it’s only a matter of time until you leave me. Just like everyone leaves me.” Now Minerva’s face contorted and she let out one loud ugly sob. 

Yukino could barely think straight as Minerva slid down the fridge in defeat. She curled her knees up to her chest and folded her arms over her head, openly sobbing now. Suddenly the sight of her snapped something inside Yukino. She couldn’t stand here and just watch as the love of her life curled up helplessly on the dirty kitchen floor.

Yukino knelt beside her and tried to take Minerva in her arms. “Babe, I’m never going to leave you.” Minerva sobbed louder. Yukino tried to lift her chin now. Minerva was hiccuping and couldn’t control her erratic breathing. Her eyes scrunched into anguish as tears fell down like tiny rivers. It was enough to make Yukino tear up. “Minnie, I’m not going anywhere.” She tried to make her voice reassuring but was afraid it fell short. “I promise. I love you, Minerva. I don’t want to leave you.”

Minerva didn’t respond to her but she stopped sobbing, tears falling silently now. She pulled her gaze away from Yukino and trained it on the floor between her thighs. Without a word she shuffled over and dropped a hand on the spot beside her.

Yukino knew what she meant and positioned herself at Minerva’s side, wrapping her arm around her girlfriend. Minerva sniffed loudly, resting her head in the crook of Yukino’s neck. Neither of them spoke and the antics of the night was suddenly lost to deafening silence.

Now Yukino could hear the constant buzzing of the streetlights right outside the window. Sting’s laptop, now halfway to closed, left a faint outline on Natsu’s still form on the couch, one of his arms draped over the backrest. It provided the only other light aside from the ceiling lamp which had dimmed years before Sting moved into the apartment.

Soon Minerva’s hiccups and shaky breaths died down into a steady rhythm as she fell asleep. Yukino pulled her tighter, dragging Minerva’s limp form into her lap and letting her head rest there.

The apartment was so quiet she was nearly startled when the door to Sting’s bedroom opened and Rogue’s padded footsteps came out. Over the kitchen counter Yukino could see him looking around for them. He raised an eyebrow when his eye fell on Minerva and Yukino cuddling in front of the fridge.

Yukino lifted a finger to her mouth as Rogue came close. He knelt down beside them. “Everything ok?” he asked placing a gentle hand on the toe of Yukino’s bare foot.

Yukino nodded but her head dropped to the floor in spite of her attempt at positivity.

“Yukino?” Rogue said her name like a parent would when they know a child is hiding something.

Yukino didn’t look up at Rogue but simply brushed some of Minerva’s long locks behind her ear. “She’s afraid I’m going to leave her,” Yukino said, her voice too small even to her ears but yet the words were also too loud in the empty, silent apartment.

Rogue didn’t answer immediately. Instead he sat down cross legged in front of them and asked, “Well, are you?”

Yukino shot him a look halfway between indignation and confusion. “I could never.”

Rogue sort of smiled at her and said, “Yeah, I kind of knew that.” He paused and Yukino let out a sigh. “Minerva needs you, Yukino. Just like you need her. She may drink sometimes but I think you know by now how insecure she is.”

“I never knew about this…”

“She never told you?”

Yukino shook her head and took a deep breath. “I get it. Her father’s the biggest asshole on this planet. He did horrible things and left her with so many problems. I just-” Yukino paused trying to search for the words while also trying to keep her voice steady. “I never knew she was afraid for me too.”

Rogue didn’t look at them. His red eyes wandered to somewhere beyond the open window. “We all have something we’re hiding. But whatever it is, don’t let that stop you from getting help. You know Sting and I are always here for you both.” Yukino nodded and Rogue sort of chuckled as he continued. “Even Orga and Rufus, however often they like to ignore the sentimental stuff.” This made Yukino smile.

Before either of them could say anymore Natsu’s sleepy voice floated over from the couch. “You forgot about me, idiot.”

As Yukino and Rogue turned to look at the couch they saw Natsu sitting up and turning around so his arms rested over the back of the couch. Yukino smirked. “How long have you been listening?”

Natsu shrugged, a gesture barely picked up in the dim room. “Long enough. But I mean it, Yuks. Friends are supposed to be there for each other. And you’re my friend so I’ll always be there for you.”

Yukino smiled at him, “Thank you very much,” she said sweetly.

There wasn’t a moment's silence before Natsu’s phone started buzzing. He pulled it out, the bright screen lighting up his face more than anything else in the room. He looked at them sheepishly then and said, “Ah, sorry. Horrible timing but Gray’s calling. Probably wondering where I am.”

Rogue nodded in understanding and Natsu stood up to answer the phone, grabbing his things and exiting out the door as he did. As Natsu walked Yukino caught snippets of his conversation that faded out the farther he went down the hall.

“Hey...Yeah I’m fine, ice princess, relax...Don’t have to yell at me, I’m coming home!”

Yukino and Rogue shared a look and a laugh as Natsu and Gray’s bickering quieted into nothing. There was a moment where Yukino was too tired to think of anything to say. Rogue filled the returned silence with, “Now that the couch is free let’s move Minerva. I’ll make up the air mattress for you beside it.”

Yukino wanted to refuse but she knew she wasn’t in any position to. There was no way she could get Minerva home when she was passed out. Instead Yukino nodded and said, “Thank you, I’m sorry to impose.”

“Nonsense. Wait there, I’ll get blankets and pillows. Lord knows Sting has enough of them on his bed.”

Rogue stood up and walked around the kitchen counter to the hallway where he paused. “Oh, and Yukino?” she looked up at him. “Let her know none of us are going anywhere,” he said with a quick glance down at Minerva.

“She’ll know soon. Because we’re all here for her.”

Rogue nodded then added, “We’re all here for each other.”


End file.
